


Moonlight

by celticwanderer



Series: Moonlight [1]
Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: ASoIaF, F/M, Folklore, fairytale, mermaid, sansan, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-07
Updated: 2016-06-08
Packaged: 2018-07-12 20:33:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7121551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celticwanderer/pseuds/celticwanderer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sandor Clegane is a lonely fisherman living on the coast of a small Irish town. He lives a life of solitude after an accident leaving his face scarred. The only place he finds peace is out at sea, but one morning, he finds something else caught in his net.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Sandor awoke to misty morning spilling in through his front window. He rubbed his eyes and realized he had fallen asleep on the couch again.

“Buggering hells” He grumbled, lifting himself off the worn leather couch. He stretched and headed into his roomy kitchen to put on a pot of strong coffee. He filled more than half with water, even though he knew he’d never drink it all, as he preferred the taste of a good ale to coffee, he always made more just incase he was having a rough morning. Those were frequent as of late.

Sandor often spent late nights at the pub down the winding road on the coast of Castletownbere, Ireland.

Other than drinking, there wasn’t a whole lot else to do. It was a small town with small minds. The people were good, but lived simple, routine lives, which is why Sandor spent more time out at sea than land. 

His house was his second home, as they say. His true home was his boat. His Stranger. The name started off as a joke to himself, seeming appropriate, as he didn’t call anyone in the small town friend. It wasn’t as though he went out of his way to be harsh toward people, but his face made him an intimidating man to approach.

He grew up around boats. Spending his childhood at at harbor watching the ships come and go. He started to offer help, just for something to do. After his first job, the man paid him and told him never to offer his time again unless he knew he was getting paid. Sandor took the man’s advice to heart, as he didn’t have a father around to teach him those types of things. 

He worked his way up, from dock rat to green horn aboard a large crabbing ship. It was hard work, and the days were long and cold, but it was only for a few months out of the year and the money was good. He worked continuously for years until he made his way up to first mate. The crew trusted him. It was known that sailing with Sandor Clegane meant a safe passage home. 

That all changed one night, when the sky was so cloudy, he couldn’t see a single star, and the waves were so rough, he was convinced the ship was going to break in half, the cabin caught fire. Sandor was in the cabin, helping the incompetent captain, who headed his advice and gotten them into the storm, find a new coarse to get them home. With a loud crash, a candle had fallen onto the bed and it caught fire. The cowardly captain shoved Sandor out of the way, accidently pushing him into the flames. Sandor fell onto the bed, and the captain ran, thinking he was leaving him for dead.

Sandor managed to push himself up off the bed, and dive into the ocean depths.

The ship sank and only a few men survived. Sandor barely survived himself, the pain of his freshly burned face caused him to almost fall unconscious multiple times. He clung onto a broken piece of the ship and used all his will to hold on and keep his eyes open. He didn’t have much to live for, but he certainly didn’t want to die among the sea of screaming and crying men.

Once the storm cleared, a passing ship rescued the men. They were given food, and the cabins of the crewmen to get warm. There was no doctor on board, but one man had a brother in medicine, and carried a small kit with him just incase, as the sea was a dangerous place. All we was able to do for Sandor was give him cream and bandages to help avoid infection. When they docked, and Sandor went to see a doctor, he said the cream did indeed help prevent infection, but there was not much he could do about the scarring. He could certainly continue treating it, and help with the pain, but unless Sandor wanted to pay for cosmetic surgery, the scars were there to stay. 

The crewmen didn’t treat Sandor any differently, but he could see it in their eyes every time they looked at him. The fear and disgust of his scarred face. The entire right side was raw and gnarled. He stood at a menacing 6’4, and towered over everyone. It was impossible to go unnoticed. Their once heroic leader was now a monster.

The crew was one thing. They were just men, and Sandor could care less what they thought. It was the townspeople that got top him. Families he had known for years now hid their children from him. Women would turn and walk the other way when they saw him coming. The town he grew up in, the people he had known all his life were treating him like a leper. It would’ve been one thing if they were strangers. He would’ve understood that, but the fact that he knew these people for years made it all the more painful. So Sandor moved.

If people are gonna look at me like this, I don’t want to know any of ‘em. He thought to himself.

He found peace in Castletownbere. He was able to by his own home which was nestled right on the coast, It was two stories, not that he used all the rooms, it was nice to have all this space to call his own. Eventually, after finding work building houses, he was able to buy his boat. The Stranger. He knew everything there was to know about fishing, and was able to make his living doing just that. 

His past followed him to every mirror, and in the eyes of every person who was seeing him for the first, or even for the hundredth time.

Sandor took a hot shower, which always helped him wake up. Having to get up before dawn on the crabbing boat helped his internal clock and he was able to function on little to no sleep. Not that he needed to do that now, it was almost out of habit. 

He dried off, and towel dried his shoulder length brown hair before wrapping the towel around his waist and heading into the kitchen.

The coffee finished brewing and he poured himself a cup. He felt the steam against his nose before taking the first sip. 

He liked it black. The stronger, the better, was one thing he learned on the sea. There wasn’t time for novelties such as creamers or sugars. Coffee wasn’t something to be enjoyed, it was there to do a job. 

He leaned against the counter and looked out the window. The skies were cloudy, but that was just a typical day in Ireland. The swells seemed calm enough. He decided he’d take the boat out today. He set his coffee down and headed into his bedroom.

His bed took up most of the room as Sandor was a tall man. He bought the biggest bed the mattress store had, and though he cringed at the price, it was the best money he ever spent. He fell right to sleep every night, and his feet didn’t  
dangle off the edge like how they did when he was a teenager. As comfortable as the mattress was, it didn’t stop the nightmares of the night he wads pushed into the flaming bed. 

Sandor threw his towel on his bed and stepped into a pair of boxers and black pants. He put on a grey v neck t shirt and a white cable knit sweater over that. 

He finger combed his hair to favor the left side of his face. The unburned side. Not that it mattered, as it was always windy outside, and he’d be alone like always.  
Sandor grabbed a book, and his raincoat. 

He hung his damp towel over the shower door and turned off the coffee pot before leaving his home.  
His pick up truck bounced up and down along the pebble covered road as he drove into town. 

He parked in front of Ol’ Donoghue’s. The only breakfast cafe in town.

He received many looks as he was seated at a table in the corner, included an open mouthed stare form a young boy. When the boy’s parent’s weren’t looking.  
“Someone looks like they’re ready to go out today.” A kind woman said as she poured a cup of coffee for Sandor, along with setting down a glass of orange juice.

“Aye.” Sandor nodded. 

“Will you have the usual?” She asked, getting her pen ready. “Stack of pancakes and potatoes?”

“And eggs.” Sandor grunted before taking a sip of his coffee. 

Mary placed a hand on her hip. “This restaurant has been in my family for years. If you come in here, and expect to be served, you’re going to have some manners.” She raised an eyebrow at him. 

“I’m sorry, Mary.” Sandor said, looking up at the old women. She was as thin as a stick, but has the energy of a horse and was damned if anyone wasn’t going to give her the respect she deserved. “Thank you, Mary.”

“Mhmm. That’s better.” She took the menu from Sandor’s table. 

“Napkin on your lap, if you please.” She ordered before walking away.

Sandor complied and took another sip of his coffee.  
He wouldn’t go to O’Donoghue’s and deal with Mary if it weren’t for the best pancakes in all of Ireland. They always gave him the strength he needed for a long day at sea.  
As he walked out, Mary was waiting for him by the door. 

“It was delicious. Thank you.” He said before quickly leaving, not waiting to hear her response. Sandor moved her specifically so he didn’t have to get to know anyone and Mary was making that hard for him. He got in his truck and drove off to the docks. 

The water aware calmer than they looked outside his kitchen window that morning. As he drove out of the harbor, he began to go faster until he could feel the salt water against his face. He smiled a genuine smile. There was something about the water hitting his face, that made him feel carefree and happy. It was just about the only thing in his life that did.  
He looked back toward land, and stopped once it looked like a tiny speck. 

He cast his net out and leaned against the railing. The wind started up and blew his hair from his face. He wasn’t concerned with catching much today. So he sat down and opened his book. He’d check the net in an hour and see if he had any luck.

The book was old and falling apart, but one of his favorites. His mother had given it to him before she died. It was a simple book of old folklore poems. He must’ve read it a hundred times, for the front cover was almost falling off.  
He was just about to start a new poem when he heard something.

He sat up and listened closely. It sounded as if it was traveling in the wind. It was coming and going. Loud than suddenly so soft he couldn’t hear it. And it sounded like it was coming from all directions.

He closed his eyes to better concentrate. When he thought he heard a woman’s voice singing he opened his eyes and shook his head. He looked at his radio to make sure he wasn’t picking up a weird signal.

A gust off wind blew past him and the voice seemed to amplify. It was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. It was soft and warm. He couldn’t make out the words, all he could tell was that it was a woman singing. 

He stood up with a start.

“Buggering hells.” He said to himself. “Am I going mad already?”

He was too far from land to be able to heard anything. He checked the radio again, but all seemed normal. 

The voice continued. It enveloped him completely. It sent shivers down his spine and warmth washing over him in waves.  
Out of nowhere, it stopped. Even the ocean sounded silent all the sudden. Sandor wasn’t a believer in superstitions, but he had never heard anything like that and thought it best he get back to land just incase he was going mad. 

As he put his book away and put his gloves on to lift the net, all he could think was that he hoped to hear it again, for it made him feel as he did before the burns made themselves at home on his face.

He untied the rope and began to pull. He was met with a happy surprise at the first tug, for the net felt heavy. His spirits lifted and took a breath before pulling the rope again. The closer it came to the surface, the heavier it go as the water was starting to spill out of the holes. 

Sandor grunted loudly, and pressed his boot agsainst the side of the boat, hopisting the net out of the water. He squeezed his eyes shut and pulled harder, harder, harder until the metal top of the net clanked against the pole.  
Sandor quickly reached down and tied the rope to the boat. He stood to look at his bounty and froze at what he saw.  
Something red, he couldn’t make out. The more he looked, he realized it was hair. Long red hair. The rest of the nets contents were pale. Long pale legs folded neatly. A pale back and hips that curved with the net. It looked like a girl delicately resting in a bed of kelp.

His eyes widened at that. That’s what it was, he realized.

“A girl...”


	2. Chapter 2

Sandor stood, stunned by what he was seeing. It couldn’t be, he thought. Regardless of his shock, if there was indeed a person in his net, and there was a chance they were alive, he had to act quickly. He reached over board and grabbed the top of the net and swung it on board.

The uncertain contents landed on the wooden deck with a thud. Sandor kneeled down and hastily took a knife from his pocket, meant for slicing smaller fish for bait. He cut the top of the net and it spilled open revealing his suspicions were correct.

A girl, who couldn’t of been older than 19 lay naked and still. He threw the knife down and shook her face.

“Girl?” He asked hoarsely. When he didn’t receive an answer he balled his hands into one fist and found the spot where her rib cage curved. Her skin was cold against his knuckles. He pressed down and counted to fifteen before plugging her nose and pressing his lips to hers. He breathed into her mouth, and sat back up.

“One...two...three...” He pressed into her, counting to fifteen again. He breathed into her mouth and sat up, waiting for any sign of life to make itself known. Her lips were slightly blue. He had no way of knowing how long she’d been down there.

He was about to start pumping her stomach again when she coughed and turned over. Water poured out of her mouth. She inhaled roughly before coughing up more. Sandor tried to move her hair from her face.

Once she stopped coughing, she laid there on her stomach catching her breath. Sandor grabbed her and tucked one arm under her knees, the other grabbed her back. He carried her into his cabin and shut the windows so no more cold would come in. He sat her down, her eye lids heavy from exhaustion. Sandor tore off his raincoat and pulled his knit sweater off.

“Here, girl.” Her moved her hair and stood over her, putting the sweater over her head. He helped her bring her arms through the sleeves. The sweater was large on her, it went down to her mid thigh.

The girl curled up in his chair, shivering. 

Sandor looked around for water, or something warm to drink, but he didn’t bring anything. He knew he had to get her back to land. How she survived the cold depths he didn’t know, but he knew she was not immortal and the cold would eventually take her. Her body was not strong enough to fight off a cold or pneumonia.

He turned away to the wheel but felt something stop him. He turned back to the girl who was holding his wrist, and looking up at him. Her wet hair was plastered to her face, but in between red strands, he could see a pair of big blue eyes starring up at him. She gently squeezed his hand.

“You’re alright now, girl.” He said. “I’ll get you home.”

He removed his wrist from her small hand and gave her a reassuring nod. The engine roared to life, and while it warmed up, Sandor left the cabin. He unraveled the rope which held the anchor and started hoisting it up. It was heavy at first, but got lighter once the sand spilled off the sides. He dropped the wet anchor onto the deck and tied up the loose rope. 

He wiped the water from his face, but it was not from the ocean. He looked up and droplets fell into his eyes and on his lips. 

There were few things he could count of in life, but heavy rains in Castletownbere was once of them. He knew the drizzle would soon turn into a full fledged storm. 

He hurried back to the cabin and found the girl with her eyes closed. He shook her. “Don’t go to sleep, girl. You have to stay awake.”

The girl blinked her eyes open. Sandor took hold of the wheel and turned the boat around. His Stranger never let him down before and had seen worse weather than this. 

He pushed the boat to it’s maximum 20 knots. They were going so fast, the boat was violently soaring up and falling down as it flew over the tops of waves. 

“Keep your eyes open.” He said again, glancing back at the girl. “We’ll be there soon.”

The rain stated pouring down harder, and impaired Sandor’s vision. He had a tracker that showed him the bottom of the oceans floor. Which areas were shallow, and which direction he was going. To be honest, he rarely used it. Years of working on sea, being forced to learn how to read the stars and use his head helped. He was glad he started during a time before technology did all the work for him.

The wipers on the cabin window weren’t fast or strong enough to help him see. He knew which way to go, but that wasn’t the issue. The issue was what he would do when he reached the harbor. Docking a boat near others was tricky. The distant glow from the lighthouse, a beckon for lost fishermen, shined through the grey.

Sandor knew he was getting close to the harbor. His nerves set in. The rain was only getting worse. Though he was in a hurry, he had to slow the boat to gain more control of it.  
A crack of thunder sounded from over head and the sky darkened. Sandor didn’t realize he was holding his breath.   
“You can do it, baby.” He uttered to his boat. “Come on.”

He could see the outline of the harbor now. The boats parked were slamming in to each other. He couldn’t park there! Even if he managed to dock, and get the girl safely off, his boat would be in pieces by the morning. He slowed the boat even more so, so that it was almost at a full stop while he tried to figure out what to do.

A warmth grew at the nape of his neck and the sound danced in his ears. 

That voice...

The warm and soft voice sung for him again. Only this time, it didn’t sound like it was coming from all directions. He hypnotically let go of the wheel and slowly turned around. He saw the girl, sitting up with her eyes closed, and mouth open. Her lips moved with the sound as it flowed out of her mouth.

All Sandor could do was stare at the creature in his sweater. His breath caught in his throat. Nothing had ever sounded so sweet. He couldn’t make out the words, it almost sounded like a foreign language, one he heard never heard before that moment. 

Other worldly...

The sound of the pounding rain grew quieter. The grey skies broke into pieces, letting light through. The girl kept singing.

He did not let him self give in to the idea that she had some part in the severe weather change. She can’t be doing this, he told himself, but he had never seen it change this fast. A loud thump knocked him out of his trace. His poetry book had fallen to the ground and lay open. A old sketch of a selkie looked back at him form the open pages.

He knelt down to pick it up. He had read that poem and seen that drawing countless times, and knew it by heart. It had always been his favorite. But as his eyes scanned the words again, they took on a whole new meaning. 

The selkie sits on solemn sands  
Her hair a curtain wet.  
She sings her songs of splendid seas   
A shining silhouette.

Her lily coat lies loosely strung  
Her shoulders slim and white.  
She sighs with sounds of salty spray  
A voice of naught and night.

As Sandor looked back up at the girl, he found the she had stopped singing. For the first time since he found her, she looked truly awake and aware. She was starring deep into him. He saw light slowly leave her eyes, and realized the clouds were coming back together. Something told him he had to get to the harbor before this weather turned again.

He grabbed the book and set it back on his desk as he stood. Both hands on the wheel, he was now able to see out of the window and pulled into the harbor, avoiding the debris of other boats in the water to the best of his abilities.

He hopped out of the Stranger and secured the rope to the dock. He was still only in his grey t shirt, as he had given the girl his sweater, and was getting soaked to the bone since the rain started back up. 

Sandor jumped back onboard. “We need to get to my truck quickly.” He said entering the cabin. 

The girl blinked up at him.

“I’ll have to carry you.” He said, his way of asking for permission.

The girl didn’t say anything but he saw something in her eyes change, allowing him to touch her.

He hesitated for a moment, before sliding his arm through the curve of her knees, and back, and lifted her with ease.   
He strategically jumped off the rocking boat and landed soundly on the dock.

He carried her up the small hill to his truck. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and nestled her face against his chest. Sandor opened the passenger door with one hand and gently sat her down.

She unwrapped her arms from his neck and let her hands linger on his shoulders. He was forced to look at her, and the way she starred at him made him suddenly aware of his burns. 

He had forgotten about them in the middle of the chaos, and only now put himself in her place, making himself what she saw. A monster.

He looked away from her, but her hand stopped his face form turning. She placed her hand on the burnt side of his face and kept her gaze fixed on his.

“You’re delirious, girl. We have to get you to the doctor.” He said, desperate for her to stop starring. He moved out of her reach, shut the door and walked around to the drivers side with out another word. 

He drove down the gravel road to the doctor’s office, but saw that there was no car parked outside as he drove past. 

“Buggering hell!” He slammed his hand on the steering wheel. The doctor probably had the sense most of the townspeople had and stayed home. He angrily revved the engine, sending rocks flying out from his back tires. His intention was to drive right to the doctors house, but as he turned to look at the girl, she seemed like she needed sleep more than anything.

Sandor let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “We’ll come back tomorrow.” He growled, speeding down the road. “Do you live around here?” He asked.

She did not answer. Her finger moved against the window, creating a symbol in the condensation on the glass.

Sandor didn’t want to force her into speaking. She’s probably still in shock, he thought. “I’ll take you to get warm, and food in your belly.” He said warmly as he could, which unintentionally made his voice sound all the rougher.

They pulled up on the small road next to Sandor’s house. He quickly carried her to the covered porch, as the rain was picking up again. 

“Are you well enough to stand for a moment?” He asked, looking down at the girl in his arms. She slipped her long legs out of his hand, and weakly stood next to him. He steadied her against his side as he unlocked the door.

“Come on, girl.” He said, helping her inside. He shut the door behind them and helped her into the bathroom. He sat her down on the closed toilet and turned on the shower. 

“Get yourself warm. There’s a clean towel here. My bedroom is just down the hall. I’ll leave dry clothes on the bed for you.” He nodded at her feet and closed the door behind him.

Sandor went into his bedroom and undressed. He still had his towel in there from the morning and dried himself, planning on showering later. He put on new pants and a fitted grey long sleeve, throwing his wet clothes in the hamper. He pulled out a t shirt, sweatpants and socks and folded them neatly on his bed for the girl.

As Sandor walked past the bathroom, he listened at the door, making sure she was okay. The constant sound of the shower water broke, telling him she was in there, and he continued into the kitchen with an eased mind. He couldn’t believe the series of events that happened in the past few hours. He couldn't stop asking himself how she managed to get into his net. How long she had been under the water. And the song...Nothing he could think of explained her song, and the weather changing. 

He shook his head, subconsciously running his fingers through his hair to cover the right side of his face and started dinner. 

Sandor had just finished straining the pasta, and was stirring the sauce when the girl came into the kitchen wearing his clothes. She was in no way short, actually she was quite tall for a girl, but Sandor was taller and the shirt ended just above her knees. The sweat pants were extremely loose, and she had to hold them to keep them up. 

“Dinner’s almost ready, if you want to go sit in there.” He motioned to the living room. “I’ve made a fire.” 

The girl turned and went in the direction he pointed, sliding on the hardwood floors in his big socks. 

Sandor stifled a laugh, and dipped his finger in the sauce, tasting it. Satisfied, he filled two large bowls and followed her into the living room. He set the bowls down on the table by the fireplace, and the girl watch the steam dance in the air until it disappeared. 

Sandor considered bringing wine in, he had it just about every night, but thought against it, and instead came back with two glasses of water. He set one down in front of her, and plopped down on the larger couch.

“Eat.” He said. 

The girl, curled up on the smaller couch starred at him. Sandor started to feel self conscious of his scars, and wished he was facing the other way. He awkwardly shifted, so the unburned side of his face was more viable. He never hesitated in telling people off when they starred, but the girl had been through enough. 

“Sansa.” A sweet voice broke the silence.

Sandor looked up from his bowl.

“My name is Sansa.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, it's basically my fantasy of the character of Sandor. Let me know what you think so far. :)
> 
> www.tumblr.com/celtic-wanderer

**Author's Note:**

> I've been wanting to write this for a while and hope you like it so far. :) Also, I am SO THRILLED the Hound is back on Game of Thrones. 
> 
> The song Sandor hears.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVfI72KziHE
> 
> Talk to me on tumblr.  
> www.tumblr.com/celtic-wanderer


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